Highs & Lows

What a month.  As I sit down to write this, I feel "heavy."  That's what I told Kreg when I got up this morning, anyway.  I wish I had a better word for it, but that was what came to mind easiest.  I feel like it's been one of those emotional roller-coaster months and I am ready to get off of it and find status quo for a bit! Not that I am complaining... I feel more blessed than ever and I realize sometimes you have to lose status quo for a bit to take a little inventory and realize how blessed you really are. 

Let me start with the "highs" :) We have had two very successful birthday parties in my house over the past 6 weeks!  Westin celebrated his third birthday with three birthday parties... oh, boy.  I wasn't trying to be clever, it just worked out that way.  He'd been anticipating his birthday this year and wanted to celebrate with all of his friends so we had his first birthday party with friends this year.  It was a lot of fun :) Wes is very "in" to Curious George, so naturally, that was our theme! 

We had all of his friends & their families, as well as some family over to our home on Saturday and we celebrated with cupcakes & banana splits!  AND some brownies & marshmallow pops & chocolate covered pretzels... plenty of sugar :)

Then on Sunday, my family came down from Denver & we did our celebration with them over lasagna and chocolate peanut butter cake with bananas :) and, some leftover cupcakes!

 Monday was his actual birthday (May 14th) and we celebrated by meeting Kreg for lunch at Chuck-E-Cheese (his request... and quickly becoming a tradition, as this was the third year in a row that we've done that on his bday).  He had a great time and surprisingly, so did Tucker! Tucker could not get enough of the rides & felt mighty big that he could ride along with his big brother.  I'm afraid I may have another adrenaline junkie coming down the pipe... is that the expression?  I think so... but as I typed it it sounded a little funny, haha!

This past weekend we celebrated Tucker's first birthday! I know its cliche, but I really am having such a hard time wrapping my mind around how quickly this past year escaped us.  Yikes. We had a small, just family, funky Dr. Seuss-themed party at our house :) I had a lot of fun with this theme... being the frugal (okay, cheap) person that I am, I decided I needed to use up all the mis-matched party stuff I had laying around so I bought very few items for this party.  I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, however.  And dare I say it, the cake turned out exactly as I had planned.  That never happens.  But it did this time and I couldn't be happier about it! Tucker loved being the center of attention and I decided he really had paid attention at Westin's party because he seemed like such a pro.  It really hit me that he's quickly phasing into a toddler (by the way, this past month he took his first steps!  it's still not his mode-of-transport-of-choice, but he will walk all the way across the room if you bribe him!) and will not be a baby much longer.  Had to shed a few tears.  He's just a joy, and I am loving every phase with him just like I did with Westin.  There's just no way to slow it down enough to feel like I've FULLY enjoyed each phase.  Is there? 

 As we were about to start the party, my Dad got a phone call from the Larimer County Fire Department on his cell phone letting him know that there was a fire near our cabin in Estes Park.  He spoke with my grandparents who live next door to our cabin & they had been out but once they got the call they ran back to the cabin in time to see the flames start moving towards our properties. They grabbed their dogs and my grandpa tried to start fighting it with a garden hose but the fire department showed up & told he & my grandma to get out, there wasn't even any time to run inside and get any of their belongings. All through the party we listened to the police scanner and waited for the phone call to find out if our place was still standing or not. No one could see anything through the flames and everyone was evacuated and a barrier was set up.  We were told that our place was on fire but that a helicopter had come in from just down the canyon where it was fighting the High Park fire and was dropping slurry on our cabin as the firefighters fought to put it out-- so we were hopeful!  Our minds kept going to what was inside, what we had left, the little things that had so many memories... but mostly it was just the place itself.  My grandparents bought it almost 50 years ago and it has been in our family ever since.  It was remodeled in 1996 & my parents purchased it in 1997.  Kreg & I have always planned on purchasing it from my parents one day soon.  We got a call later that evening that confirmed that it was a total loss.  Nothing was left standing except the chimney.  We got pictures the next day that made everything much more vivid and my parents & my sister Taylor headed up there yesterday.  Today they were allowed to go in and try to sift through anything that might be left-- they were amazed at the "path" the fire took-- our cabin & my grandparents' cabin were completely destroyed, but there are places across the street that are just fine.  We have been so thankful for all the love that has been poured out on our family. My Grandma (not the one whose cabin was lost) was with me this weekend and, as in just about every stressful situation I've found myself in through my life, had some wonderful words of wisdom that have stuck with me the past few days.  She said, "you know, just like you have to go through an inventory of your home that you lost, it's good to stop and take a spiritual inventory too.  Sometimes it takes a tragedy for us to do that." So I've been working on just that. I've been counting my blessings. And I feel so very blessed. Just a few things that have come to mind:
             - I am so thankful we didn't lose anyONE.
             - I am so thankful we have good insurance.
             - I am so thankful for our memories.
             - I am so thankful they saved so many trees.
             - I am so thankful for the community of Estes Park &               all they've done for my family & neighbors.
             - I am so thankful for my faith, and for my God, the                God of all comfort who who comforts us in all our                    affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who
             are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we                ourselves are comforted by God. (1 Cor. 1:4)


There are fires surrounding our home right now-- to the West & to the East & to the North.  Our beloved Colorado is burning. So many homes are threatened, so many people have lost everything, and the heartache we are feeling is just a taste of what so many other people are feeling. 

Our Cabin Before:

The slide they showed at the homeowners meeting after the fire was out

My grandparents' place

My Grandparent's brand new Yukon Denali was in the garage

Taylor & Grammaw looking for something salvageable from the kitchen

One of the biggest blessings our family received this weekend came while Taylor was going through things.  She found this, still sitting on our mantle.  Such a wonderful reminder of God's faithfulness through anything & everything.  We plan to do something special with it when we rebuild.  Thank you God, for your faithfulness & your comfort.  We know you are mighty to save.

 "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

This Day 4 Years Ago...

On this day 4 years ago, I was getting ready to marry my Prince Charming :) I've been going through the pictures and I just can't help but have the same rush of excited, dreamy feelings that I experienced 4 years ago! Every detail of the day was just perfect.

It started out by a surprise visit from my groom!  He brought me some Chick-fil-A for breakfast to start the day off right :)

After getting all of the flowers together, I met all of my favorite women at The Egg & I for my bridal luncheon.  I really didn't know how special this time would be for me.  When I ask myself when the next time will be that I will have so many of the most important women in my life all together again, the honest answer is probably "never." I'm so glad we took pictures! 

 From there, it was straight to my mom's to start getting ready! I loved this time together also! SUCH excitement and so fun to just be girly and have so much help with my hair & makeup :) I am so blessed to have such a talented sister who was able to put together a "hair masterpiece" the day of with no problems. Thanks, Tay-Tay :)

 After we were all ready, it was time to go downtown to meet my groom for our "at first sight" pictures! We decided to do this before the ceremony & I don't regret it :) I loved this moment we shared together and it didn't take away from our ceremony one bit. The look on Kreg's face when he saw me all dolled up was just so precious to me.  I felt like I must be the most beautiful girl in the world.  And I know to him I was :) 

 We finished up these pictures in time to meet our bridal party at the Chapel before all of our guests showed up.  This time was also very special to each of us.  We both shared special prayers with each of our bridal parties.  Kreg's Papaw led his prayer with his groomsmen & my  Grandma led my prayer with my bridesmaids.  Although I sprung this on her & I don't remember everything that she said, I know I had chills & I remember thinking that although I wouldn't remember all the words, I would remember the feeling of being prayed over & blessed by such a wonderful lady, surrounded by all my closest friends & sisters.

I love this picture of me & Angela... peeking :)

When it was time for the ceremony to start, I remember being completely surprised at how calm I was.  Unbelievably happy, I couldn't relax the smile on my face even though my jaws were hurting, but super calm.  Not worried about the 200 people that were going to be watching me for the next half hour.  Not one bit.  I'm not kidding! I don't know how that happened, I guess it was kind of like being in a dream. Those moments I spent with my Daddy also stick out in my mind.  I could not be more blessed with the relationship my husband & my Daddy have.  They hit it off immediately and have been best friends ever since.  When Kreg asked my Dad to marry me, my Dad told him he felt like he "hit the jackpot." :) I know this was not how my Dad imagined he would feel when it was time to "let me go," but my Dad's happiness & ease made me realize I was making the best decision in the world by marrying Kreg Kell. Thank you, God, for the relationship between the two most important men in my world! 

 I also remember being struck by the gorgeous chapel.  Kreg & I fell in love with it the moment we walked in to tour it and it was even more beautiful after our wonderful decorators got done with it.  The soft white flowers and black and white and green accents just dolled it up beautifully.  And the candles.  Oh, how I love candles! And this old chapel with all the deep wood and the low lighting set off the many, many candles just perfectly. 

 John did better than we could have imagined with his sermon for us! It was so special for us to have someone who had known both of us longer than we had known each other marry us.  We are so blessed! When the "kiss the bride" part came, Kreg pulled my face close with both of his hands and it was SO tender & sweet! The perfect kiss & we didn't even have to practice it!

 These few pictures just after we became "Mr. & Mrs. Kreg Kell" are some of my very favorites!  We took a few pictures on our way to the reception.  "Betty Boop" is the name of this awesome old car that took us away.  You probably won't believe me, but just last night it followed me for a couple of miles on the interstate on my way home! It immediately took me back four years ago :)

 Our reception was so much fun!  It was not anything like we originally planned, but thanks to the hard work of many wonderful friends & family, it turned out beautiful! I'm so glad we were able to go around to each table & thank our guests for joining our special day.  Kreg's mom sang a special song for us & we had some very talented entertainment from Danny, John & Kim :) Our first dance was very special to me also.  I'm glad we decided to do it!

After such a wonderful evening, it was off to Denver & then to Cancun for the most amazing week ever! I can't wait to do it again someday :) We have been blessed so far beyond anything I could have imagined in the past 4 years! There was no way to know how much deeper our relationship would be, how much closer we would be, and how our sweet family would grow.  I'm thankful every day for our friendship, our love, our commitment, and our life that we're building together.  I can't wait to see what else our awesome God has in store for our marriage.  I know every day will not be easy, but every day I am more and more convinced I made the best decision of my life that day! I love you, Kreg Kell! Thank you for choosing me, I still can't believe it sometimes :) You are my Prince Charming and beyond that, you are our family's pillar & spiritual leader and I couldn't ask for a better husband, friend, or father for our boys. You're my favorite & always will be!

P.S.... TONIGHT he's taking me to the Mona Lisa for some fondue :) I am one lucky girl!

To My Son

Dear Westin:

Happy 3rd birthday, baby! I've spent the better part of this past week reminiscing the last three years of my life--  thinking about how much you have blessed our little family just by being here & being you. You are a precious gift from God & I hope no matter what may come, you will always, always know how loved you are. 

What a great year we've had! You've really developed such a great little personality & you are an absolute joy to be around. You are so smart, so funny, and so charming! You love to be a part of our conversations and you constantly amaze me with how much you understand and pick up on.  I just can't believe how easy it is for you to learn and how much you enjoy learning... Whether it's watching you with your Daddy learning how to play ball or whether you're memorizing your memory verses, or a book, or a movie, or playing Angry Birds & Rock-a-bowling on Daddy's phone... you just pick things up SO quickly.   


I've enjoyed watching you in your new role this year as "Big Brother."  I can already tell that you will be very protective of Tucker.  You're proud that he's your little brother and you are so quick to let someone know if he's upset or needs something.  You enjoy making him laugh and are really enjoying beginning to play with him now that he's getting big enough to start playing with you.  Sometimes you're too rough with him, all in good sport, but I know that YOU are the only one who is "allowed" to be rough with Tucker.  You're good at watching out for him already and that makes my heart so glad :)


Some days I think you're a little too smart for your own good :) It's impossible to "pull the wool over your eyes" already... you know your way in & out of an argument and sometimes it leaves mommy's head spinning... and I'm a pretty good "arguer" myself.  It's crazy to think that a year ago you were just barely able to speak in sentences... and now you can form full thought processes and explain what is going on inside your clever little mind.  You are ALWAYS entertaining me... I am never, ever bored when I'm with you.  I'm so blessed to be able to spend nearly every waking (and sleeping, for that matter... I'm sure one of these days you'll decide your big boy bed isn't that bad and you won't be making the late-night or early morning trek to my bed to cuddle anymore... and I will probably be very sad because I will be the first to admit I treasure our cuddle time) moment with you.  

I can't think of anything more rewarding or enjoyable than watching you grow up.  I am in nearly constant prayer for you & the man that I hope you will become. I know our God is watching over you, blessing you & loving you & it is my prayer that I will be a tool in His hand to help shape your character and to instill in you a desire to be a man of God-- to be a pillar in your home, your church, and your community.  You are so, so loved.  Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

Love,
Mommy 

Spring In Our Step

I feel like Spring came early to Colorado this year... which is a really great thing because by the end of February I felt like I really couldn't take two more months full of snow and bitter temperatures.  Thankfully, March was SO NICE.  This was Westin's first warm Easter EVER.  We even got to hunt eggs OUTSIDE! 

 I made the boys Easter shirts which was a lot of fun :) I love my embroidery machine!! I had to get one last photo of Westin's long hair... apparently I'm the only one who loved it so I gave in & let him get a "summer cut" which of course looks handsome on him also!

 The boys had a lot of fun dyeing eggs at my parents' house.  Westin really got into it this year & wanted to color EVERYONE's eggs... multiple times.  We had some pretty interesting colors :) And Tucker decided to smash his & eat it... to each his own...

I always have so much fun dressing my boys up :) I always thought dressing boys would be pretty boring but I find it both fun & challenging! This years' Easter outfits were super fun.  My mom bought them both little Sperrys to wear so I wanted to find them something they could wear with their cute "boat shoes!"  We ended up with this: 

 The Easter Bunny stopped at IKEA on his way to our house! :) Kreg & I are so blessed to have family close to watch our babies when we want to go on a date.  We try to make it a point to have one date night a month.  March's date was to IKEA in Denver... probably my new favorite place.  You can spend a whole day in that store... the food is great, the prices are great, the toys are awesome... I'm tellin' ya! 

Now that Kreg is home in the evenings more (no more Air Force Academy games until football starts), we've been making it a point to take family walks as many nights a week as possible.  We're enjoying the nice weather, giving our labs some exercise, letting Westin ride his awesome chicco bike with no pedals, and helping to get ourselves in shape because we are leaving on Saturday for a cruise!! To the Bahamas!! We can't wait... my hubby works SO hard & I am so excited for some R&R and some time to regroup & reacquaint! Not to mention I have never been to the Bahamas & I'm really excited about taking in some beautiful scenery.  

We've been in our home for three years this summer & every Spring I love watching all of the work we've put into our landscaping start to mature.  My tulips are just lovely this year! They were one of the first things I planted after we moved in & thankfully they have come back better & better each year.

 Tucker is 9 (almost 10) months now & just a treat.  He's got such a winning smile that is very hard to say "no" to & he loves his big brother more than anything in the world!  He is always watching him & mimicking him & trying to figure out how he can do everything Westin does.  The words in his vocabulary include both mama & dada, "nana" (food), hi, Tay -Tay (of course... one of Westin's first also) and tay-too (thank you).  He signs "please" when he wants something... usually food.  He's a big eater (at least compared to Westin) and is somehow still only in the 10th percentile for his weight... not sure how much stock I put in that measurement as he has the cutest little leg rolls I've ever seen. He walks around everything & stands up on his own but hasn't tried to walk yet. I did his 9-month photoshoot & was really pleased with the shots we got!  Here's the link to the ones I put on our photoraphy business's facebook page:
 Tucker- by it'sALLgood photography
 

 We're looking forward to everything the next few months have in store for us! It will be busy, for sure, but that's how we do things.  Between our vacation, Westin's birthday, our anniversary, & Tucker's birthday, you will **hopefully** be hearing from me a lot :) I have such lofty goals for this little corner of my world... I'm going to try to be better about carving out a little more time each week to try to record the precious things I don't want to forget.  Starting.... oh... I don't know... when I get back.  Hopefully. <3